Friday, January 15, 2016

Grist for the Mill: The Consigliere Edition

A litmus test of sorts with a mirror held to the Reform Movement in Hoboken is reflecting odd shadows depending on the angle of its holder.

Behind the scenes probing questions on problematic relationships are escalating as the pending vote for a seat on the North Hudson Sewerage Authority between decades long commissioner and Old Guard stalwart Frank Raia and his reform counterpart Kurt Gardiner approaches.

The whispers Leanza is Raia's personal attorney, past and present with Raia authorizing and directing the NHSA board seeing the attorney paid hundreds of thousands of dollars are verified in news articles going back to 1990.

Frank Leanza, a mirror reflection of a decades long involvementon the North Hudson Sewerage Authority with Frank "Pupie" Raia.His personal relationship with Raia raises questions not dissimilarto the controversy with Carmelo Garcia and Charles Daglian earlieron the Hoboken Housing Authority.

As the legal relationship intertwined, Pupster managed to remain on the board with no serious public inquiry reinstalling him to repeated terms over 25 years.
Eyebrows have been further raised as Raia who entered then dropped out of the third ward council race last fall under what he described as doctor's orders is now miraculously recovered. He's been seen driving around town and dropping off at least one council member who wouldn't want a photo of the event memorialized.
At the last City Council meeting the word diversity flowed from more than a couple of council members' lips. Now they'll have to reconcile those recent proclamations with someone who feels not only entitled to a local board position keeping prized health insurance benefits but the Hoboken Soprano mentality that it's a lifetime entitlement.

Is a Hoboken board seat something you hold on to like a mob boss until death? This is some real goombah shit.

Reform then, led by HHA Chair Dana Wefer snuffed out the bottomless problematic pit of that relationship eventually seeing her board members eject both even under the threat of Garcia's lawsuit lust. Much has been uncovered but not revealed to the public as federal law enforcement agencies swooped in on the carcass with their departure.

What's the difference between Reform then and Reform now? That's the question a lot of people are asking leading into the City Council meeting next Wednesday.

Donald Trump may not be the only developer thumping his chest bragging about "The Art of the Deal." But the Donald doesn't need hundreds of the poor exploited using Vote by Mail "campaign workers" to get his toys.

Grist for the Mill is MSV's rumor column. Got a tasty carrot for Da Horsey? Send it to smartyjones@me.com. All email is kept confidential until mutual agreement and is protected by Da Horsey's proven Reporter Privilege upheld under the NJ Shield Law in Hudson Superior Court.